Wire retainer

ABSTRACT

An outdoor unit for an air conditioner/heat pump is provided with a bracket which is attached to the tube sheet of the heat exchanger coil for routing the electrical leads from the electronic components within the unit to a control box located outside thereof. The bracket is mounted without fasteners and is preferably clipped onto a planar structure on the tube sheet by way of opposing tabs on the bracket. The bracket is preferably secured to the planar wall by way of dimples that engage with holes formed in the planar wall.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to air conditioning/heat pump units and, more particularly, to apparatus for routing and retaining electrical wires therein.

Air conditioning systems for conditioning residences and other interior spaces provide a condenser unit located outside the residence and an evaporator unit located in communication with the interior spaced to be cooled. In heat pump applications, a reversing valve is provided and the roles of the two units are reversed.

In both air conditioner and heat pump applications, the outdoor unit has an electric motor and fan associated therewith such that the outdoor air may be drawn through the heat exchanger of the unit. In addition to the fan motor, other electrical components, such as a compressor, heater, and pressure switches, are located in the interior of the unit and are commonly connected by way of electrical wires to a control unit mounted outside of the heat exchanger coil.

Various problems have arisen from the routing of the electrical wires from the internal components to the outside control box. For example, in order to prevent damage to the wires, they must remain free from possible contact with the rotating fan which could cause them to be severed. Also, since they are likely to be routed to the vicinity of the coil tube sheets, it is necessary to prevent their rubbing against the edge of the tube sheet which can cause them to be severed. Finally, in order to aid in the orderly assembly of the unit, it is desirable that the electrical wires be maintained in a unitary bundle so that they can be easily routed to the control box.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Briefly, in accordance with one aspect of the invention, a bracket is mounted within the unit and has an opening formed therein for routing each of the electrical wires from the internal components through the opening as they pass to the control box outside the unit.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the bracket is attached to a tube sheet of the heat exchanger coil with the wires passing through the bracket opening and then through an opening in the housing of the unit to be connected to the control box.

By yet another aspect of the invention, the tube sheet has an exposed edge, and the bracket is attached to the exposed edge without the use of fasteners.

By still another aspect of the invention, the bracket is clipped to the tube sheet edge by way of opposed fingers extending from the bracket on either side of the tube sheet edge and engaging with openings therein.

In the drawings as hereinafter described, a preferred embodiment is depicted; however, various other modifications and alternate constructions can be made thereto without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention as incorporated into an outdoor unit of an air conditioning system.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the wire retainer portion thereof as installed in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the control box in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the present invention as seen from a position near the fan.

FIGS. 5A-5C are right side, rear side, and left side views of the retainer clip in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the wire retainer in its installed position in accordance with the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now to FIG. 1, the invention is shown generally at 10 as applied to an air conditioning outdoor unit 11 having a wrap-around heat exchanger coil 12 terminating at either end by tube sheets 13 and 14. A compressor 16 is disposed within the confines of the coil 12 and is serially connected in a vapor compression cycle arrangement in a common manner. The compressor 16 is preferably a hermetic compressor with an internal electric motor for driving the compressor. A heater is also preferably provided to heat the compressor during operation in low temperature conditions. Both the drive motor and the heater are connected by electric wires 17 to a control box located outside the coil 12.

Near the top of the unit 11 there is disposed a motor driven fan 18 for drawing outdoor air radially inwardly through the coil 12 so as to be discharged upwardly to the atmosphere. The wire lead of the electric drive motor for the fan 18 is routed radially outwardly to the edge of the coil 12 and then downwardly to eventually lead to the control box outside of the coil 12.

In order to control the operation of the unit, it is desirable to sense various operating parameters at various points within the vapor compression cycle. For that purpose, a pair of pressure switches 21 and 22, with respective leads 23 and 24 are provided to electrically connect the switches to the control box.

As will be seen in FIG. 1, each of the electrical leads as described hereinabove are routed to a wire retainer 26, which is attached to the tube sheet 14 in a manner to be described hereinafter. The leads are then routed by the bundle to the control box outside of the coil 12 in a manner to be described hereinafter.

The tube sheet 14 of the coil 12 is shown in greater detail in FIG. 2 wherein it will be seen that a pair of longitudinally extending walls 27 and 28 are shown, with each of these walls having a relatively sharp edge protruding in a direction away from the coil 12. Each of the walls 27 and 28 has a plurality of notches 29 formed therein, as well as a plurality of knock out openings 31. As will be seen, the wire retainer 26 is secured to the wall 27 and is retained in place by attachment to the knock out openings 31 in a manner that will be more fully described hereinafter.

Each of the electrical leads as described hereinbefore, passes through an opening 32 in the wire retainer 26, with the resulting bundle then being routed away from the walls 27 and 28, against which they might otherwise rub to cause damage to the wires, and to the control box as will now be described.

There is shown in FIG. 3 a control box assembly 33 having a back wall 34, top wall 36, and bottom wall 37. As will be seen, various electronic components are contained within the control box assembly 33, with connections being made thereto by way of the various electrical leads. The leads as described hereinabove (i.e. those from the compressor 16, the fan 18, and the pressure switches 21 and 22), all pass through an opening 38 in the wall 34 after which they are routed and connected to the appropriate electronic components within the control box assembly. This arrangement is facilitated by the use of the wire retainer 26 which brings the individual leads together and then allows them to be routed to and through the opening 38 as a bundle.

In addition to the function of preventing the wire leads from rubbing against the sharp edges of the tube sheet walls 27 and 28, as described hereinabove, the wire retainer 26 functions to guide the routing of the fan motor leads to the fixed location of the wire retainer 26 to thereby prevent the leads from accidentally being in the area of the fan 18 where they might be damaged or severed. This can be seen in FIG. 4 wherein the fan leads 19 are lead away from the fan 18 and downwardly to the wire retainer 26, thereby preventing the leads 19 from being in the near vicinity of the fan 18 where they could be damaged.

The details of the wire retainer 26 can be seen in FIGS. 5A, 5B and 5C wherein there is provided a planar body 39 having upper and lower fingers 41 and 42 attached thereto and extending inwardly toward each other, to the extent that they are in overlapping relationship as shown. The lower finger 42 has an end 43 that angles outwardly away from the finger 41, and an inwardly extending spur 44 at an intermediate position as shown. The wire retainer 26 is preferably made of a plastic material such that the upper and lower fingers 41 and 42 are flexible. Thus, in order to install the wires in the opening 32, the individual wires can be brought to bear against the outer side of the upper finger 41 so as to thereby flex the end of the upper finger 41 inwardly while passing behind the finger end 43 and along the inner side of the lower finger 42 and over the spur 44 to enter the opening area 32.

The structure on the other side of the planar body 39 is provided for the purpose of attaching the wire retainer 26 to the tube sheet wall 27. The structure includes three longitudinally aligned tabs 46, 47 and 48 on the one side and two longitudinally aligned tabs 49 and 51 on the other side, with the two sides being laterally spaced as shown in FIG. 5B. In addition to the tabs 49 and 51, there are provided pins 54, 56 and 57 that are longitudinally aligned but spaced from the tabs 49 and 51 as shown. The tabs 49 and 51 have dimples 52 and 53 formed thereon and extending inwardly in the direction of the tabs 46, 47 and 48.

The wire retainer 26 is attached to the wall 27 of the tube sheet 14 by straddling the tabs 49 and 51 and pins 54, 56 and 57 on one side thereof and the tabs 46, 47 and 48 on the other side thereof. Retention is accomplished by engaging the dimples 52 and 53 with the knock out openings 31 of the tube sheet wall 27.

The resulting installation of the wire retainer 26 as attached to the tube sheet wall 27 is shown in FIG. 6. For simplicity there are only two lead wires shown as installed in the opening 32, but it should be understood that multiple wires would pass through the opening 32 and be retained in place by way of the wire retainer 26 as they pass from the space within the coil 12 and extend outwardly through the opening 38 of the control box back wall 34. 

1. An outdoor unit for an air conditioner/heat pump system, comprising: a heat exchanger defining an outer periphery of the outdoor unit and having a tube sheet at each of two ends thereof; a plurality of electrical components disposed within said heat exchanger, each of said electrical components having at least one electrical wire connected thereto; an electrical control box located outside of said heat exchanger and being electrically connected to said plurality of electrical components by said electric wires; and a bracket mounted within said unit, said bracket having an opening therein to receive and retain said electrical wires as they extend between said plurality of electrical components and said electrical control box.
 2. An outdoor unit as set forth in claim 1 wherein said tube sheet has an exposed edge and said bracket is attached to said exposed edge.
 3. An outdoor unit as set forth in claim 2 wherein said bracket is attached to said exposed edge without fasteners.
 4. An outdoor unit as set forth in claim 3 wherein said bracket is attached to said exposed edge by clipping said bracket to said exposed edge.
 5. An outdoor unit as set forth in claim 4 wherein said bracket includes a plurality of longitudinally spaced tabs that are disposed on one side of said exposed edge and another plurality of longitudinally spaced tabs that are disposed on the other side of said exposed edge.
 6. An outdoor unit as set forth in claim 5 wherein said at least one of said tabs has a dimple, and said exposed edge has at least one opening formed therein and further wherein said at least one dimple engages with said at least one opening.
 7. An outdoor unit as set forth in claim 1 wherein said plurality of electrical components includes a compressor and a fan motor.
 8. A method of routing a plurality of wire leads from internal electrical components within the confines of an outdoor heat exchanger coil to a control box located outside the coil, comprising the steps of: providing a wire retainer device which has an opening therein for receiving the plurality of wire leads; providing at least one tube sheet for said heat exchanger coil, said tube sheet having a planar wall forming an extension thereof; mounting said wire retainer on said planar wall at a location near the control box; and routing the plurality of wire leads to and through said wire retainer device opening and then to the control box.
 9. A method as set forth in claim 8 wherein said wire retainer device is attached to said tube sheet planar wall without fasteners.
 10. A method as set forth in claim 9 wherein said wire retainer device is attached to said planar wall by clipping the retainer device to said planar wall.
 11. A method as set forth in claim 10 wherein said wire retainer device is provided with a plurality of longitudinally spaced tabs that are disposed on one side of said planar wall and another plurality of longitudinally spaced tabs that are disposed on the other side of said planar wall.
 12. A method as set forth in claim 11 wherein at least one of said tabs has a dimple formed thereon, and wherein said planar wall has at least one opening formed therein, and further wherein said at least one dimple is made to engage said at least one opening.
 13. A method as set forth in claim 8 wherein said internal electrical components includes a compressor and a fan motor. 